


Dry as Dust

by orphan_account



Series: The Feral, the Fused and the Foolish [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dustfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Dustswap (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Dusttale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Horrortale (Undertale), Multi, Other, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader x Everyone, Reader-Insert, Skeletons In The Closet, Surface timeline, Technically Undertale Genocide but who cares, combined AU timeline, undertale - Freeform, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:34:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23174008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "If ever one were to lose their mind, body, heart;The original's lies are within a series of parts.Whenever one takes, another one givesA finale of which the truth will outlive."Strange events have been plaguing the area around the woods for a long while now, and you're trying to figure out just how all this ties into your friends' disappearances. After being laughed out of the cabin you're investigating, you find a book full of strange symbols and a cryptic message. Will you be able to solve the mysteries of this forest?
Relationships: Papyrus (Dustswap)/Reader, Papyrus (HorrorSwap) & Reader, Papyrus (Horrorswapfell) & Reader, Papyrus (Horrortale) & Reader, Papyrus (Undertale) & Reader, Sans (Dustfell)/Reader, Sans (Dusttale)/Reader, Sans (Horrorswap) & Reader, Sans (Horrorswapfell) & Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Series: The Feral, the Fused and the Foolish [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650988
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	1. Meeting Murderers

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Alternate Amalgam Adventures](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22622548) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 
  * Inspired by [Skeletal Shenanigans in Scrambled Shambles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20553902) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> This fic takes place a long while after the events of Skeletal Shenanigans in Scrambled Shambles and Alternate Amalgam Adventures. It acts as a conclusion to the series-- even while the others are being written.
> 
> Nicknames:  
> Dusttale: Murder (Sans)  
> Dustswap: Lynch (Paps)  
> Dustfell: Massacre (Sans)  
> Sixswap: Composite (Underswap Sixbones)  
> Horrortale: Skin (Sans), Bones (Paps)  
> Horrorswap: Bleak (Sans), Screech (Paps)  
> Horrorfell: Dire (Paps)  
> Horrorswapfell: Dread (Sans), Scream (Paps)  
> Horrorfellswap: Hound (Paps)

The woods were home to creatures, both those feral and those fantastic. Over the past several months, two of your best friends had gone into the woods and haven't returned. Sure, the second one did come out from time to time but you never got a chance to ask why they apparently now live in the Gora woods. So here you were, an oddball with a curiosity streak, currently exploring one of the most dangerous forests in the country. You had heard rumours of strange and anomalous activity in the woods. Haunting screams, strange creatures and mysterious cabins that seemed to pop up and disappear ever so often. You were currently looking for one of the larger cabins, the one with the semicircular protrusion.

Instead, a smaller cabin came into view, a large window on one side and a grey fence surrounding the elevated platform. Weariness had won in the clear attempt to keep the cabin done, wooden walls stained and warped beyond repair. The window itself was covered in mildew and the door was tilted outside of the frame. There were holes littered throughout the walls, and as you approached it a jagged purple bone whizzed past you. You flinched, taking a step backwards only to bump into something soft.

"human." A voice rasped. It seemed to suffer from underuse, as if whoever was speaking hadn't spoken properly in years. You turned around, only to see a hooded skeleton. His sockets had two multicoloured balls of light inside, a strained and almost manic grin was plastered on his face. The skeleton was wearing a faded blue jacket drenched in a powdery substance, a grey turtleneck underneath and a pair of blue jeans. A red scarf was wrapped around his neck, it clearly held some significance to him. "what are you doing here?"

"I... uh... I was investigating some rumours and--" You began before the skeleton waved you off.

"the name's murder. why don'tcha come on in and meet the crew, aight?" For someone named Murder, this skeleton was oddly friendly. You were skeptical but you followed. It'd probably be the worst mistake of your life, but you wanted to anyways. The second you entered the cabin, you noticed just how messy it was even compared to the outside. The entire place was covered in socks, gloves and the occasional rancid plate of food. There was a couch and a chair, the sofa had stains on it and two distinct figures sat upon it. An orange-hooded tall skeleton sat on the far left, the skeleton had narrower eyesockets but still had the multicoloured eyelights. The skeleton's left leg had a massive crack running down it, he was twirling a wooden cane in his hand and had a terrible slouch. Like the first, he had a cerulean bandanna wrapped around his neck.

The third skeleton you saw was shorter like the first. A black jacket with stained white fur around the edges, a red turtleneck and black jeans. He had a much less stressed grin, eyesockets completely empty as he stared at you. Murder cleared his throat, dodging as the orange-clad skeleton raised his arm and a flurry of bones shot out. The black-clad skeleton backed into the corner of the couch. Murder sighed, holding your arm with a grip that made you wince as he led you towards the main room. The orange-clad skeleton raised a brow, crossing his legs. "who the fuck is that?" He hissed.

"a guest." Murder glared at the other who was currently trying and failing to stand up. "we don't know how long they're staying, they're looking for something."

You nodded, opening your mouth to speak before Murder once again interrupted you. "they ain't a bad human, they're too low to be worth much." Was... Murder planning on selling you? This had to be a misunderstanding, right? "kid, this is lynch and massacre. stay out of their way and you'll be aight."

"sup." Lynch pointed his cane at you, and Massacre gave a sheepish wave. For people named after homicides, they seemed surprisingly amicable.

You tipped your head. "Thanks, I..."

Murder led you down the hall before you could finish your sentence. "they don't like making eye contact." The skeleton hissed as he all but dragged you up a staircase you didn't see when you first came in. "don't go in our rooms, stay out of our way, leave the place like you found it and don't mention anything." He shoved you towards a room at the end of the hallway. "come downstairs when you've got your shit sorted."

You turned to tell Murder something, but noticed that he was gone. Opening the door, the room was in a better condition. It was practically empty, save for a dusty mattress and a torn pillow. Cobwebs piled in corners and light barely shone through the small, clouded window. You sat down on the bed, trying your damndest to figure out what the fuck was going on. You don't remember falling asleep, but today must've been stressful because you slept like a rock-- the mattress was as uncomfortable as a rock, too.

* * *

You woke up as the last beams of light choked itself through the window. You needed to get back on schedule, you had a feeling of dread in your gut as you descended the darkened stairs. It sounded like the other skeletons were fighting, and that's what you saw as you looked over the banister. Lynch was pinned to the ground by Massacre, who had a sharp red bone raised over his head as a makeshift knife. Murder was sleeping on the couch, but the second the floorboards creaked, both of the fighting skeletons turned to look at you.

"what th' fuck're they still doin' 'ere?" You realised you hadn't heard Massacre speak. His voice sounded rough, coarse and scratchy. Lynch took the opportunity to move back to the couch-- you didn't even see him move, but nobody else pointed it out.

"cool it, massacre, they probably fell asleep or somethin'. they're here to figure out why people've been disappearing around these parts." Murder's eyesockets shot open.

Lynch and the other skeleton broke into fits of laughter. "heh, the kid wants to figure it all out?"

"what a suprise. maybe they can find someone i've been looking for!" The black-clad skeleton giggled.

You glared at the two skeletons, before turning and storming out of the cabin as the others' raucous laughter rang in your ears.

So stupid! It was only your first day trying to solve the anomalies here and you were already laughed out of the place you were supposed to be in. You were sat underneath a tree just outside the rundown house as it began to rain. How delightful. Thunder roared overhead as you hit your fist against the tree in anger. You winced in pain as you heard a clank. Trees didn't normally make that sound. You did again, and the metallic thud was undeniable. "What in the--" you noticed a strange rock formation that didn't exactly look natural. You tapped it, expecting nothing but were surprised when the rock slid back with little resistance and a hole in the bottom of the tree opened.

It was dusty and smelled of mildew, but it was large enough for you to crawl through. You entered, not entirely sure what to expect but grateful to be away from both the skeletons and the rain.

So here you were, alone and shivering as the thunder roared and lightning flashed. You squirmed, trying to fit your head all the way in as you felt something solid on the other end. You pulled it out, eyebrows raised in curiosity as your fingers felt leather and your eyes saw a book. A notebook, both title and pages written in strange symbols. You covered it under your shirt as the rain started to flood the compartment, you rushed back to the cabin as your figure was soaked by the rain.

"well, well, well. look what the rain dragged in." Lynch had an expression of amusement plastered on his face as he watched your shivering form.

"Shut up." You marched towards the staircase, trying to find some peace and quiet in this miserable house. You didn't know what to expect, but you wanted to read in peace.

* * *

It felt like days now-- you knew it had only been a few hours. You were still trying to figure out whatever code the book was written. It looked like something you had seen or studied before, but it felt strangely new. You'd figured out bits and pieces, the first few words were the most difficult. The book itself was full of scribbles, sketches, and notes that were still in that weird code. You skimmed through the book again to make sure you weren't missing anything, but something caught your eye. It was in the very back of the notebook, written in actual words, not the strange symbols.

"It seems something strange is happening here. Cabin after cabin after cabin, each one even further gone than the last. It's enough to drive a guy mad. I found this book the other day, hidden in one of the cabins. I have a bad feeling about this." You read aloud, "I'd asked both Skin's and Amalgam's cabins about it, and Composite was the only one who knew anything about this book. As usual, he spoke in riddles. I don't want to ask anybody else, I don't know what this book even is. I don't know if anybody's reading this, but I think it's my time to leave a cryptic message of my own; Composite taught me well, didn't he? 'If ever one were to lose their mind, body, heart; the original lies within a series of parts. Whenever one takes, another one gives. A finale of which the truth will outlive.'"

You closed the book. This was too much, you needed a break. Maybe you'd find something that'd help you solve this later. Right now, you needed to go to work. You stuffed the book into your jacket pocket, preparing to head out. As you headed downstairs you noticed that everybody was sleeping on the sofa. Lynch was curled up, his form nearly too tall to fit on the furniture. Massacre was sleeping on the arm of the couch, a position that defied gravity. As you approached the kitchen, hoping to get some water before work today, Lynch let out a shriek and Massacre fell off the sofa, landing on his head. Murder was nowhere to be found. "jesus fucking christ, kid! what th' fuck ya doin' this early?" Massacre hissed, rubbing his head in pain as he stood.

"Just heading to work." You replied, barely holding in a laugh at their antics.

"wait, you work?" Lynch raised a brow. "lemme guess, you solve mysteries?"

"No. I work at Bones' place." You stated matter-of-factly. The skeleton had started a small restaurant a while ago, 'Comestible Cravings' was a small grill that opened only a few months ago, it rarely had any business but it was a damn good place to eat. Today was important, Grillby and Bones were doing a friendly cook-off.

"th' fuck is bones?" Massacre snarled. Lynch only sighed, laying back down. "whatever, be more quiet next time. nearly scared me ta death."

These skeletons were rude, but you knew you'd keep coming back here until you got the answers you wanted. You sighed, the door closing behind you with a click. The area was still damp from rain last night. As you made your way to your car, you noticed just how large these woods were. The idea of there being so many more cabins than you had thought made you want to skip work and explore, but you knew that was a bad idea. Bones' restaurant was always understaffed and you knew today was important.


	2. Chefs' Cooking Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you have a fun day at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not proofread, but probably one of the better planned chapters this fic'll have.

Comestible Cravings was definitely a restaurant and a half. It was extremely small, an L shaped establishment that barely had any customers even at peak hours. The other employees were all skeletons-- ones that bore striking resemblance to Murder and the others, no less. Bones greeted you on the way in, you nearly jumped in surprise, still unfamiliar with his loud voice. "HELLO, HUMAN EMPLOYEE! ARE YOU EXCITED FOR ANOTHER FUN DAY AT WORK?" The first thing you had noticed about your boss was just how tall he was, he was crouched down to your height in a way that did not look comfortable. The second thing you had noticed was something you had only picked up on the first day of work: just how unorthodox this skeleton was. Bones had his way of doing things, he mostly handled the cooking; he disliked having to explain his methods of storing, cooking and order of operations, preferring to do it himself or with Dread or Bleak.

That left you and a few other skeletons with restocking and dealing with the few customers the establishment had. Usually, the far more amicable Scream was placed on customer duty while you worked on clearing the dishes off of tables, working the register and the occasional odd job. Screech tended to wash the dishes, but the character that really intrigued you was Skin. Skin was a strange figure, one that you had never seen in person but often heard about; he was the guy who did the general jobs. Maintenance, cleaning, restocking, anything that Bones said didn't require a specific person to do was practically bound to be something Skin did.

Dread and Bleak were practically opposites in tone-- not in energy, mind you-- but they did similar jobs in the kitchen area. They were in charge of helping Bones with whatever needed done. Truthfully, you didn't know much about either of them. Both were ridiculously short, many times customers had believed them to be children. Bleak was far more childish out of the pair, but he reacted far more angrily than Dread when being considered younger than he is; shouting about striped shirts until he was calm again. Dread got angry sometimes, but he tended to still be far more professional than the other.

"Yeah, Bones. What's going on this time?" Of course, you knew what was going on, but you knew Bones was enthusiastic about this event. There was a friendly cook-off between Grillby's and Bones' place today. You were excited, but since Grillby's only had one employee-- not including the fire monster himself, there was only going to be two people on Bones' side, too.

"WELL, SINCE TODAY IS THE COOK-OFF, THE RESTAURANT WILL BE LEFT TO--" Bones began before Bleak interjected.

"I'M GOING TO DESTROY THE C-COMPETITION!" The small skeleton was practically jumping up and down, literal stars in his eyesockets. Bones looked rather miffed, mouth still open in surprise at the sudden interruption.

"THE RESTAURANT WILL BE LEFT TO SCREECH, SCREAM, SKIN, AND YOU." Bones paused, thinking about something. "YOU DO KNOW HOW TO COOK, YES?"

You nodded, but your mind was still swimming in thoughts. Did Grillby's get a new employee? Bones seemed to notice your confusion, "THERE'S A THIRD PARTY ENTERING THE COMPETITION. DIRE AND HIS GROUP." You had heard of Dire's place, a Classic Cuisine, once again owned by skeletons. You had never seen Dire or his group, but you knew the restaurant was popular, though even it was dwarfed by Grillby's. "THEY HAVE THREE SKELETONS ON THEIR TEAM. GRILLBY'S HAS AN EXTRA-- JUST FOR THE COMPETITION, MIND YOU-- BUT DREAD'S COMING ALONG AS WELL. ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU CAN RUN THE RESTAURANT?"

Once again, you nodded. To be honest, you had no clue if you could run the restaurant to Bones' standards. You didn't know Bones' standards, but you knew they were high. "EXCELLENT! YOU ARE JUST AS GREAT AS I COULD'VE IMAGINED!" The skeleton all but shouted, "IT'LL BE AT THREE TODAY, SO YOU'LL ONLY HAVE TO DO THIS FOR A FEW HOURS UNTIL WE'RE BACK."

To be fair, you knew you'd hardly have to use the kitchen. Dread cleared his throat and you turned to face him. "DON'T BURN DOWN THE PLACE WHILE WE'RE GONE. ASK SCREECH OR SCREAM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. DON'T GET TOO CHATTY WITH THE CUSTOMERS." While Bones actually owned the restaurant, it seemed that the miniature skeleton acted far more like a 'boss' than anybody else. You nodded yet again. You knew Dread was one of the more stoic skeletons, one who complimented Bones' wild personality well.

Bleak turned the sign on the door from 'closed' to 'open.' You had been trying your damndest to get it changed to something funnier from day one, but nothing really worked. Speaking of working, the first customer of the day was already here, seeming to pop into existence the very second the establishment opened. The skeleton was a frequent patron, one who looked eerily similar to both Screech and Scream. You headed back to the countertop, Hound already sitting down on a worn leather seat in a back corner. Scream approached the other, though he had a look of both pity and anger on his face. "what'll it be?" Scream tried his damndest to sound enthusiastic. Hound was a worker at Dire's place, one that Scream often complained about.

The skeleton had a large jacket with plenty of white fur curling to a point just above his head, his skull seemed to have been scarred in age. An orange turtleneck underneath, Hound was scratching at large, gaping hole just above an unmoving, almost catatonic empty eyesocket. A lone red eyelight-- the same as the ones that Screech and Scream had-- was staring Scream down. Everything about this skeleton was more similar to Scream than Screech. Hound blinked. "i'll take a burger." Hound mumbled "cheese, pickle, barbeque sauce. chips on the side."

Hound never seemed to order things that the restaurant sold. It made you wonder why he didn't go to Grillby's or Dire's-- especially because the former served burgers and the latter was where he worked. Scream seemed to be thinking the same thing as Bones headed back to the kitchen to start cooking, Bleak and Dire just behind. You kind of just stood there until Hound was ready for the cost. Of course, because the item wasn't on the menu, there was no specified total cost. That didn't mean that Hound got off free, quite the contrary. Bones had added a special 'Hound-only' menu below the counter, one full of every item that the skeleton had ever requested and the cost. "That'll be 4.75." You mentally repeated in your head as Dread carried over the dish, the smell of the skeletons' cooking was always enough to make your mouth water.

"HERE'S YOUR ORDER." Dread's voice was clipped, almost snappy as he sat the food on the table. "I HOPE TO BEAT YOU AT THE COMPETITION."

"heh, feeling's mutual, buddy. i'm only helpin' grillbs so that dire's got a chance to wipe the floor with your crew." Hound grinned, "burger's good as always. 4.75, right? give me a minute." The skeleton's gaze shifted to you as he pulled out a wallet from his pocket-- a wallet that you swore was either new or stolen-- and taking out a few bits of money. "speakin' of, you hear about the new guy we have to deal with?"

"a new guy?" Scream cut in, Hound flinching at the sudden new voice.

"yeah, a health inspector type guy. heard the original put him up to this, tryin' to make sure we don't do anything." You had heard word of an 'original', but never anything like this. "guy's called 'g' or somethin', don't know much but he's inspectin' our place right now."

"NOT AROUND OUR HUMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH." Dread hissed, "IT'S A MATTER OF SKELETONS; SEMI-SKELETONS DON'T COUNT."

Hound raised his arms up in surrender, chuckling as he finished off his burger and began to work on his chips. "forgot, sorry." His voice was muffled as he spoke with his mouth open, gold tooth catching a few beams of light. He wiped his face with his sleeve, "well, i'll head back. m'lord'll shit a brick if he sees me shirking work again." The skeleton stood, leaving the restaurant in silence besides the click of the door and the ring of the bell. Scream let out a sigh of relief.

It was a slow day, if it was anything to go off of. Only six patrons today, and that's counting the two times that Hound reappeared and ordered a soft drink or another bit of chips. Hound may be a jackass, but he's the best customer the place has. It was quickly approaching the time Bones said he'd leave to the competition, but none of the skeletons seemed confident or nervous; you had a feeling the skeletons knew something you didn't. The hours quickly piled on, and you had to admit that you were excited to finally be able to use the kitchen that your employer and coworkers found ever so valuable.

* * *

Eventually, the trio of loud skeletons approached the door, Bones was carrying a bag you could only assume to be full of utensils while Bleak and Dread were carrying a foldable table and chairs respectively. "HUMAN, IT'S ABOUT TIME WE'RE LEAVING. KEEP THE KITCHEN CLEAN, DON'T BURN ANYTHING. DON'T LET SCREECH OR SCREAM NEAR ANYTHING DANGEROUS." The short skeleton stressed the importance of making sure Screech in particular was not allowed to come in contact with anything besides the basic dishwashing equipment. Apparently, Screech had caused fires associated with everything ranging from the coffee machine to the refrigerator, you believed Bleak to be joking but he sounded deathly serious.

It was quiet in the restaurant, even compared to its usual lack of patrons. Funnily enough, it seemed that the cooking contest was just on the other side of the street, barely outside the restaurant. You'd been watching the event for a while now, Bones, Bleak and Dread were rushing around their station, putting several ingredients into pots and pans. Grillby, a green fire monster-- you didn't know their name-- and Hound were doing this with a much more calm attitude; the trio working on something you couldn't see from this angle. Interestingly enough, a third group was on the other end. A skeleton you could only describe as sharp was barking orders at a skeleton that looked much like Dread, but with a jagged piece missing from his jawbone. A much lazier skeleton that looked a lot like Hound was sleeping on a chair. You could only assume that to be Dire's group.

Scream and Screech weren't taking this seriously, you had half a mind to join them. The two were playing some horrific combination of poker and Uno, you didn't understand it at all but you were glad they were enjoying their time.

You ventured into the kitchen just to get a quick look around. It looked even better than you had expected, pristine metal and appliances clearly labeled. Nothing looked conventional, as someone had made all of the machinery by hand. Pots and pans were next to what you could only assume to be six toaster-ovens turned freezers. There were several metal cupboards full of utensils and plates, and you had no clue how you'd be able to actually use this place with all of the appliances being so different from common ones you were used to. When Bones asked you if you 'knew how to cook,' you weren't expecting that to mean 'knew how to navigate this place.'

The door opened with a click and you were genuinely terrified that you'd have to use this maze of a kitchen. You looked out the doorway, trying to see who it was. It was another skeleton, though one that you'd never seen before. The skeleton was just shy of Scream's height, though he had the general facial structure as Dread. Two long cracks ran across his skull, one beginning at the bottom of his left eyesocket and ending at his lazy grin; another just above his right socket and ending somewhere on the back of his head. A fur-tipped black leather jacket that fit his form well, a grey shirt beneath it.

The skeleton was very relaxed, contrary to both Scream and Screech's reactions of nervous twitching and fidgeting. "'sup. 'm here to talk with axe-- skin." The skeleton seemed to correct himself. He tipped his head in your direction, grin widening. A single golden eyelight-- one far smaller than the ones that your coworkers had-- seemed to relax further. "the name's g." Screech pointed towards the back room of the restaurant, G nodding and heading back. The door behind him closed with a click.

* * *

Eventually, the front door of the establishment slammed open. Bones marched in, looking rather triumphant and holding a shiny blue ribbon. Bleak rushed in after, grinning from ear to ear. Dread was a tad bit more calm, though he still had a large smile plastered on his face. "Welcome back, guys." You greeted them. Scream slid off of the counter, but Screech was still on it; Bleak was already sitting on Screech's lap, rambling about his day at a practically inhuman speed.

"HUMAN, DID YOU MANAGE THE PLACE WELL?" Dread stepped into the kitchen, you nodded.

"No customers, only a guy called G."

Dread clicked with his mouth. "PEOPLE CAN'T BE NAMED AFTER CURRENCY. THAT'S LIKE NAMING A HUMAN PENNY."

Scream shook his head. "no, bro, it's g. he stopped by. he hasn't left-- talkin' to skin or something."

"AH. THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE." Bones interrupted. He paused, before his tone changed to his usual cheery nature. "WE GOT SECOND PLACE IN THE CONTEST! I'M GOING TO MAKE A CELEBRATORY MEAL OF SPAGHETTI!"

Bleak jumped off of Screech's lap, the other falling off the counter in surprise. "TACOS, YOU MEAN?"

"BONES, I'M TIRED OF PASTA AFTER TODAY!" Dread snapped.

Truthfully, the establishment felt more like a big, dysfunctional family as opposed to a place of employment. The energetic trio made their way to the kitchen, still bickering on what to make as a celebration of their victory. Screech chuckled, struggling up off the floor and shrugging. "wanna play uno? don't got the cards for it, but it's still good." Your lazier coworkers never took work seriously, and you admired their easygoing attitude just as much as you enjoyed the others' energetic outbursts. You nodded, ever thankful that they ended their more complicated games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dusty Bois (patent pending) will be very soon-- if not next chapter.


	3. Breakfast and Lynch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you make a hearty meal and get a bit of advice.

The last few weeks were surprisingly quiet at your workplace. Everybody seemed on edge and none of the skeletons were up to their shenanigans. You had half a mind to ask what was wrong, but you never quite got the chance. At least the place had more customers than usual, but not even that cheered up your stressed coworkers.

Now it was the weekend, and as you woke up on the torn and over-used couch of your shoddy apartment with a pounding headache from a night with friends gone wrong; you knew which odd part of the woods you were going to visit. So now you were fixing a hearty breakfast of... well, what's left in the fridge at the moment. A few stray eggs, some god-knows-how-old sausage and some potatoes with questionable growths. You hummed a familiar tune as you started slicing the potatoes, knowing full well that your boss would have a fit if he saw the state of your kitchen.

Random seasonings always made potatoes taste good, and as you started work on the eggs you realised something. The skeletons from the cabin looked awfully similar to the ones you worked with. Were they all related? You knew that the ones you worked with were all closely related so there's a good chance the others were too. You'd have to ask later. Perhaps you'd be able to get some more information.

Breakfast was always a good meal. Eggs and sausage blended perfectly together to make a well-flavoured start and the potatoes on the side adding a fiery taste to the otherwise earthy dish. You always loved cooking but never quite had the time, and as you finished your meal you began to pack. Nothing much, just a few items-- you had no clue if you'd be staying the whole weekend or if you'd be going back and forth but you wanted to be prepared. Your apartment was definitely boring compared to the mysteries of the forest.

While you were packing, you had time to think of some things. The mysterious book you had found, the message on the back and the skeletons themselves were intriguing. Did they have anything to do with the mysterious events plaguing this town? What was the book? Who did it belong to? What was the mysterious print? You were intrigued! It felt exciting, a fresh burst of cold air you hadn't felt in ages, a daft bit of curiousity which you all but knew would be the death of you. You pulled your jacket on, hand drifting towards your pocket to feel for the journal. Lost fingers flicked against the inside pocket of your jacket. You left the building, shoulder bag slung over your shoulder.

As per usual, the receptionist chided you as you left. You didn't hear her, the door closing with a click. You were far too excited.

* * *

Massacre, on the other hand, was not excited. "why are ya here again?" The skeleton you had previously thought to be sleeping had shot to his feet the second your foot touched a creaking floorboard. Lynch and Murder were nowhere to be seen, and with the latter's absence you couldn't help but feel a tad bit of unease as his multicoloured eyelights stared through you. "who th' fuck asked ya ta do this?"

"I wasn't asked, I'm here to investigate."

"sure, sure, whatever. just shut th' hell up an' let me sleep." The skeleton snarled, eyesockets closing as he shifted, digging himself further into the couch. "never shoulda came here, ya might find shit you'll regret." You rolled your eyes. Massacre may be a jackass, but he's a jackass that has information-- and any jackass with information was as good a one as any. You decided not to pester him further, the gold-toothed skeleton was quite intimidating if you recalled how he had pinned Lynch to the ground correctly.

You sighed, mumbling under your breath as you headed up the stairs to the guest room that Murder had let you crash at last time. You weren't sure you could be so naive as to think Murder would simply be nice all the time. But in all honesty, you'd never really had a choice in the matter, as the group thus far had been shown to be quite unpredictable. It had to be a trap, something to derail you. You remembered just how much their attitude flipped the second you mentioned investigating.

Or maybe he was genuinely a good guy. You had grown not to judge a book by its cover, and so far that had held true. You sat down your belongings in the dusty room, looking around at the cracked walls and ruined wallpaper. You grinned to yourself as you started thinking about possibilities, but right now you wanted nothing more than to explore. You'd never been around these woods before, you wanted to find something worthwhile. Something to prove any number of possibilities. To be honest, you only came to the cabin today because you didn't want to have to go back and forth between your apartment and this place.

You stood, preparing for a long day of walking before leaving the room. Obviously not expecting to run into anybody, you nearly flinched when you heard a raspy yelp as the door slammed into the wall. Fortunately, the door didn't hit the orange-clad skeleton. Lynch's eyesockets were still widened in shock, mouth agape. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" You immediately started rambling. He only blinked.

"you're still here, 'detective?'" His voice was laced with a mocking tone as he tapped his cane against the floor. "s'okay. m'bro told me that you were behind that door, should've listened to him." At the mention of a brother, you looked around expecting to find someone. When you didn't, you gave him a weary glance. You weren't up for games today, "but that's beyond you and me, you know?"

You nodded. "so, uh... what are you lookin' for? 'sides answers, i mean." Lynch chuckled. In the dimly lit hallway, the skeleton's eyelights were blindingly bright.

"Besides answers, I'm trying to figure out..." You caught yourself before mentioning the journal-- you didn't want someone this sketchy knowing about it. "Well, I've heard reports of people disappearing near these parts," You paused as Lynch inhaled sharply, eyelights seemingly glaring at someone you couldn't see, "and I wanted to know where they went."

Lynch nodded. "fair, fair. but why would you go to where people were disappearing? not a smart move."

"I guess not, but people've been talking about cabins and 'skeletons being everywhere these days.'" And all of the skeletons looked so similar, too. Screech and Lynch looked almost identical and everybody at your workplace had resemblance just chalked up to family. "Why are you asking?"

Lynch cleared his throat. "we want you gone." The skeleton's blunt statement surprised you. He seemed to notice your shock and sighed, probably misinterpreting your reaction. "jeez, no, not like _that_! it's just none of us are really used to humans. last time we met one didn't go over so well, you know? and would you look at this place? the air's probably poisonous after all these years!"

You nodded, Lynch continued. "the sooner you get out of our hair, the better. not that we _have_ hair, of course."

Truthfully, the feeling was mutual. You didn't want to be here any longer than it would take. Regardless, you smiled at his obvious play on words. "Nah, I totally get it. Having a strange human barge into your house isn't exactly your idea of a good time-- especially when said human is trying to search your property for clues and all that."

The skeleton paused before stepping to the side. "wait, sorry, was i in your way? i'll move, sorry."

You smiled, thanking him and walking past as he cleared his throat one last time.

"kid, a word of advice for you. stop looking, you won't find anything you'll understand." Lynch's voice seemed to have dropped an octave, the light, usually projected from his eyesockets completely disappeared, leaving you in pitch darkness for a fraction of a second. The light reappeared and he was gone, all at once, leaving you standing in the hallway trying to process what he had said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nobody:  
> Lynch: I don't always help out Main Character, but when I do it's paired with a good old threat.


	4. Relics of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you discover another connection, receive another threat, find another riddle and are put in another bit of danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay, a lot of thing've been happening recently. Not proofread

Of course you weren't expecting any help, but a blanketed threat was something you were quite confused by. Why was Lynch so suddenly aggressive, especially after just giving you some actual advice? The orange-skeleton had also mentioned that he had a brother; an intriguing bit of information. It added even more connection to your coworkers, but you still wondered where Lynch's sibling was. Did the other two have brothers?

Your hands immediately felt your pockets for the journal, maybe it had some more information. But you knew not to let any of the skeletons see it, you shouldn't trust these guys with it-- you weren't stupid. You'd have to get outside first. Which, fortunately, is where you were planning on going. You wanted to find a cabin, a secret or _anything_ out of the ordinary.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find something you considered anomalous. The electrical crackling in the area made you tense and the smell of oil was unmistakable. The source of the metallic scent wasn't hard to find. A sparking pile of debris that looked several years old was in a pit several metres deep. It looked like it had once been a moving machine, maybe a robot? From what you could see, the silvery machine had a pitch-black puddle of oil deep inside of it. It was definitely old, but if it was still sparking that meant its power had not yet died out.

"nice view, eh?" A gruff voice from behind startled you. You whipped around surprised to see the slouching figure of Hound. "yikes, mate, no need to be so jumpy."

"What are you doing here?" You raised a brow as the gold-toothed skeleton spoke.

"wait, wait, wait. if you're here, you're in a cabin." Hound mumbled to himself, not seeming to notice you or your question. "isn't that supposed to be bad if a third human ends up in a third cabin?"

The skeleton seemed to realise you were there. "eh, sorry, mate. but what was it that you asked?"

You felt almost tempted to ask about what he meant about it being bad if you were in these woods. For once, you decided to keep your mouth shut. Something about the way the gold-toothed skeleton was looking at you was unnerving. "I was just wondering what you were doing here."

"enjoying the view."

Your eyes darted back to the sparking machine. Was that a nice view? Hound seemed to understand your confusion. "it's more nostalgia, you know? sentimentality."

"What do you mean by that?" You asked, wanting some real explanation for once.

Hound shrugged. "dread and bleak like robots. they made some things a while back." The skeleton chuckled as you let out an exasperated sigh. "but, uh... i think you ought to answer your first question. why are you here?"

You weren't expecting Hound to be talkative., "Two friends of mine disappeared a while back, they're both in these woods." It seemed that Hound really didn't like your answer.

"do you, uh... happen to know anybody named phantom? wraith?" The worried skeleton's expression eased as you gave him a weary and unaware glance. "look, i'm sorry you're not getting answers. but you _really_ need to stop searching. i know your two friends, they're fine but you _can't_ meet up with them. in fact, you should leave these woods. never look back."

"Why? What is there that'll happen if I find them? Is it bad if I meet Phantom or Wraith?" You already had a vague idea based on how panicked he had sounded, you wanted answers. _You need to know the rules before you break them_ , you thought.

"i can answer that. i just hope i don't have to." Hound disappeared without so much as goodbye, leaving you alone in the woods yet again. The sparking machine seemed more fierce as if it could sense your unease.

_What did that mean? What could that mean?_ For once, your spiraling thoughts went uninterrupted. You had hoped that maybe you'd get a clear answer. You sat on the edge of the crater staring at the debris. Had Dread and Bleak made this? What happened to it? You decided once again to confront the notebook. You had been able to translate more of it. Unlike what you had originally thought, the notebook wasn't in a code, it was in another language. You'd been able to translate enough of it to understand some more words. Nothing you understood as important, but one stood out.

The first part was quite obviously a riddle. "Ten and further plenty but only six between. Another end of another means, two who look and one who sees: friends torn from time and spirits pulling at the strings. And when time and space meet and last questions sans answers: beware Foolish and Feral minds of matter, else a world's end will complete." You mumbled aloud.

The next part, however, was more confusing. It appeared to be some sort of... shopping list? It was a list of words. "Apple, candy, cane, eye, plate, orange." Your mind scrambled to figure it out as you spoke. "What does it mean?"

And yet again your questions weren't answered. You knew they had to represent something. But you didn't know. All of this was so... frustrating! You just wanted a clear answer with no funny business but instead-- you realised something. 'Friends torn from time and spirits pulling at the strings.' While only one part of it actually meant something to you, that part was kind of interesting. Friends torn from time could be somehow connected to you and your missing friends.

For once you felt like you were making progress. That was, of course, until sleep overtook your body.

* * *

You woke up in the freezing rain as thunder roared overhead. The forest was completely dark, and it was oh-so-convenient that you had left your phone at the cabin. Which meant you had no source of light. But that wasn't the top priority right now, was it? You scrambled to your feet, tucking the journal in the relative safety of your coat before rushing to find shelter from the chilling rain.

Rushing through the woods is hard enough as it is. Unfortunately, it's far more difficult when the mud beneath you threatens to make you fall and the trees are only faint silhouettes. But miraculously you survived, only having fallen twice and ramming into a tree once. You eventually reached a clearing filled with several rundown little pyramid-like huts of brush, sticks and leaves. It'd be a nice place to stay until daylight, and if the place's condition was anything to go off of you wouldn't be intruding on anybody.

The first hut you entered was empty, but you didn't sleep. You had woken up just minutes before and you doubt you'd be able to because of the cold. But still, you were dry and you were relatively safe.


	5. No Longer Relatively Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you are no longer relatively safe.

And there you sat. The rain didn't seem to clear up as the first bits of fog settled over the damp ground. Strange shapes moved in the mist and you swore you saw a part of the ground move under your feet. _Of course, that's just an illusion. A trick of the mind._ You thought, trying to distract yourself with the notebook. The riddle from earlier scratched at your mind. Of course, the whole 'shopping list' part of the riddle was what actually intrigued you. Some of them seemed like they actually represented something, but you didn't quite know who or what they were meant for.

You were starting to feel a little restless. You weren't meant to stay still for a long while, and you knew you had to get moving as soon as the rain dried. Unfortunately for you, the strange shapes in the fog had other ideas as thunderous footsteps approached.

* * *

The first thing you noticed about this massive beast of a creature was his piercing red eyelight. It reminded you of some of your coworkers, the way the crimson orb lazily drifted in their skulls yet still seemed to dig a hole through your very SOUL. The creature was melting like snow in springtime, the very bones that made up his body oozing with every squelching step.

You let out a startled grunt as the creature extended a hand. He seemed... Somewhat friendly? Instead of taking it, you stood up on your own. He spoke, voice a dangerously low gasp. "Human.”

Now that you were closer to it, you could make out its exact details. The skeleton-- if you could even call him that-- was composed of two separate entities. The first acted mainly as a support. The skeleton's pencil-thick legs that seemed to end in a pair of large, stocky stumps that might have once been boots were not the most uncanny thing about him. The weirdest thing about him was that he seemed to be an exact replica of Bones, save for the teeth that looked like they came straight out of a horror movie. Bones had braces, so maybe that’s what he had looked like before? The skeleton's comically designed armour would've been funny if not for the fact that it was melting and stuck to a far smaller entity, the taller's arms wrapped around him as if they were clinging on for their own lives.

The smaller entity's frozen grin and unblinking eyelight stared as if trying to predict what you'd do, _like a predator watching its prey_. The jacket reminded you of Murder's, blue and faded. Of course, the one defining feature was the massive, gaping hole in his head. His legs dangled, swaying slightly in the wind as unending pieces of its pink slippers dripped to the ground as if it were liquid.

Needless to say, the sight was quite odd. You nearly shrieked as the smaller entity's eyesocket twitched. You hadn't thought he was _alive_ . But then he spoke. You _knew_ it was the shorter speaking. "straight to number five..." His voice was a gasp, as if he hadn't spoken properly in ages.

The taller shook his head, sending droplets of molten skeleton everywhere, "Caught the final human!" His voice was far louder, raspy and nasally. You didn't quite know what was going on.

You raised a brow. "Uh, is this your hut in the middle of nowhere? Should I leave?" You were already preparing to leave when the creature stopped you.

"book?" The shorter skeleton growled, eyelight narrowing into just a slit of red light. For a second, you didn't quite know what he was asking. "bad. not good."

"How do you know about it?" Your eyebrows furrowed.

The taller one was next to speak. "If you have book, you _are_ final human!" Something about the pair was very wrong-- besides everything else that was wrong about him, of course. And so you ran. The creature let out a hideous screech, but you didn't turn around to see if he was following you; the thunderous footsteps were enough to prove that he was. You narrowly avoided several tree roots, but you still didn't shake off the skeleton.

"think about... stop sign!" The shorter skeleton called out from behind you, you know that you were getting further from the creature. "stop, capische? come back!"

You made a sharp right turn and the creature’s footsteps started to slow. "Where'd you go?! Come back!" This time, you knew it was the taller half speaking. Of course, now you had to focus on finding your way back to the cabin. God knows you couldn't stay out in the rain. You tried to figure out which direction you had come from, but your mind was busy with other things, such as... you know, _not_ slipping in the mud and breaking your neck.

* * *

Eventually, you ended up back in the same clearing with the huts. After making sure that no strange eldritch horrors were behind you, you found the path you had made on your way to the clearing mere hours before and sticking to it. There were no more encounters with the strange amalgamate, but you knew you couldn't stay in one place. You allowed yourself to rest, if only for a moment before continuing at a far slower pace.

The crater was easy enough to find. Massive holes in the ground tended to be difficult to miss, especially if said massive hole was sparking and had the distinct scent of ozone. That meant you weren’t any more than a kilometre away from the cabin. Of course, as with every chase scene you heard the droning call of the creature’s smaller entity not far behind. “...won't kill if come back.”

That served as a decent motivator for you to get as far away from the creature as possible. Checking the ground, you realised your footprints from earlier were still relatively fresh. You knew that the thing chasing you would be able to find his way to both you and the cabin, but you didn’t care. You were shivering in the rain as you ran once again, your legs burning and threatening to give out from the strain.

But somehow, you made it. You could see the silhouette of the rundown cabin, and as you approached you knew that it _was_ the same one. You let out a shaking breath, allowing your pace to slow if only for a moment. The door slammed behind you with a thud.

Almost immediately, you could hear the thud of someone falling off the couch. You leaned against the door, taking in massive gasps of air. “what the hell’s yer problem?!” The angry yelling of Massacre brought you back to reality. From the strained sound of his voice, you could tell that he was the skeleton who had fallen off of the couch, “why’d ya have ta go slammin’ the door? nearly gave me a heart attack, ya did!”

You would’ve rolled your eyes, but you were too busy trying to figure out what the hell had happened. _Okay, so the guy said something about me being the ‘final human’ because I had the book._ That didn’t mean anything to you, but it sure seemed to get the creature upset. _Just like Hound had been_. You thought. You were about to head upstairs when Lynch crossed your path.

The tall skeleton sent you only a weary glance before returning to what he was doing. You paid him no mind as you continued your activity. Sure, your legs ached, your lungs burned and your mind was racing a mile a minute... but you survived. A gut instinct _saved_ you. You didn’t use anything resembling logic, you just ran.

* * *

 _And for once, your instincts were right._ You thought to yourself as you collapsed onto the dusty guest room bed. _For once,_ you _were_ _right_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That creature seems familiar, doesn't it? I wonder who he could be?


End file.
